Liquid fuel metering devices for internal combustion engines



- April 21, 1959 w, DQWNING 2,883,088

LIQUID FUEL METERING DEVICES FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 1, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. W. DOWNING April 21, 1959 Unit LIQUID FUEL METERING DEVICES FOR DJTERNAL COUSTION ENGINES Application October l, 1956, Serial No. 613,077

Claims priority, application Great Britain October 4, 1955 1 Claim. (Cl. 222--250) This invention relates to liquid fuel metering devices for use on internal combustion engines, and of the kind comprising a reciprocatory shuttle contained in a rotary valve, the fuel being discharged alternately from either side of the shuttle by pressure of the fuel acting on the other side, and the fuel being supplied to the metering device by a feed pump.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of metering device of the kind aforesaid for use more particularly on an engine having a large number of cylinders.

A metering device in accordance with the invention comprises a rotary cylindrical valve contained in a ported body part, and having at least two similar longitudinal bores arranged parallel with each other, a reciprocatory shuttle in each bore, a pair of end stops in each bore, one of which is adjustable for varying the range of movement of the shuttle, and an adjustable abutment which supports each of the adjustable stops.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a liquid fuel metering device according to the invention, and Figures 2 and 3 are cross sectional views taken respectively on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing the body part a has formed in it a cylindrical bore into which is inserted a cylindrical liner [2, the body part and liner being provided with a plurality of appropriately arranged inlet and outlet ports which are indicated by c and c respectively. In the example shown, eight inlet ports c and eight outlet ports are provided, two inlet ports and two outlet ports being arranged in each of four parallel planes transverse to the axis of the liner b. The inlet and outlet ports in each of these planes alternate with each other and are spaced apart by an angular distance of 90 about the axis of the liner b, whilst the ports in alternate planes are staggered relatively to those in the other planes by an angular distance of 45, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. In the liner b is contained a cylindrical rotary valve d adapted at one end for connection by a coupling e to the engine.

The valve has formed in it two longitudinal bores f of similar size arranged parallel with each other at opposite sides of the axis of the valve. Each bore contains a reciprocatory shuttle g and also a pair of end stops h, i. The stop h occupies a fixed position and the stop i is free so that its position can be varied for varying the range of movement of the shuttle.

In the end of the body part adjacent to the adjustable tates Patent stops i is arranged a cylindrical and axially adjustable abutment k which supports each of the adjustable stops i so that by adjustment of the abutment these stops can be adjusted equally. Adjustment of the abutment k may be efiected by an axially arranged screw m, or by any convenient mechanism which is automatically movable .in response to, for example, the air pressure in the airinduction pipe of the engine.

It will be understood that the valve is suitably ported as hitherto for controlling the flow of liquid supplied by the feed pump in the desired manner from the inlet to the outlet ports. Thus, the valve is provided with two ports n in communication with each bore 1 at opposite sides of the corresponding shuttle g. Moreover, the four ports n in the valve are situated respectively in the four transverse planes occupied by the inlet and outlet ports c, c The mode of action of the device is essentially similar to that of other devices of the same type but the construction difiers from conventional constructions in that the two shuttles are contained in separate bores in the valve. During rotation of the valve, fuel admitted under pressure to either bore f through each of the associated inlet ports 0 serves by its action on one side of the corresponding shuttle g to move the latter in the direction for discharging through one of the associated outlet ports c the fuel previously admitted to the bore at the other side of the shuttle through another of the associated inlet ports.

The number and arrangement of the ports depends on the number of cylinders in the engine. For an eightcylinder engine each shuttle supplies four cylinders, and the arrangement of the ports is made such that the cylinders are supplied in the desired sequence. Further the number of bores in the valve may be three or more when the engine is provided with a still greater number of cylinders.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A liquid fuel metering device comprising in combination a body part having therein a cylindrical bore, a liner fitted in said bore, said body part and liner being formed at spaced positions with co-planar fuel inlets and outlets, a rotary valvemounted in said liner and provided with at least two similar and parallel bores extending longitudinally through said valve, a reciprocatory shuttle in each of the valves bores, the valve being provided in the same planes as said fuel inlets and outlets with ports for sequentially connecting the valve bores at opposite sides of the shuttles therein to the adjacent fuel inlets and outlets during rotation of said valve, a pair of end stops mounted in opposite ends of each of the valve bores for limiting movement of the corresponding shuttle, the end stops at one end of said valve being slidably adjustable in the corresponding valve bores for varying the range of movement of the corresponding shuttles, and means for elfecting simultaneous and equal adjustments of the adjustable end stops, said means including a movable abutment which is situated adjacent the said end of said valve, and against which the adjustable end stops abut.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,913,656 Boyd et a1. June 13, 1933 Patented Apr. 21, 1959 

